SUV Review: 2009 Acura RDX

2009 Acura RDX

PHOTO: Handout, Acura

Power, practicality in luxury package

By Matthew Haase, Canwest News Service

Originally published: August 10, 2011

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

The compact luxury sport utility market lives in a pretty small niche at the moment.A trio of Euro manufacturers — Land Rover, Mercedes and BMW — offer compact rides, but Acura is the only company outside of Europe to throw its hat in the ring, with the RDX.

Some people might point to vehicles like the Toyota RAV-4, but while the RAV-4 is a solid compact SUV, it is not aimed at the luxury crowd. And yes, I mean SUV — crossover is just a new buzz word created when the SUV acronym became synonymous with poor fuel mileage, which is not the case with the little Acura.

The RDX, as the only SUV to offer only a four-cylinder engine, is a bit of an outcast in its little niche market. By no means is this a negative aspect of the RDX.

The turbocharged 2.3-litre is Acura’s first forced-induction engine to reach production, and after driving the RDX for a week, I surely hope it’s not the last. The variable geometry turbocharger fed through a top-mount air-to-air intercooler allows for quick spool to help reduce lag off the line while making plenty of power on the top end. That all translates into 240 horsepower at 6,000 r.p.m. and 260 lb.-ft. of torque at a very un-Honda-like 4,500 r.p.m.

The RDX’s engine doesn’t rev like other Honda/Acura engines available, but that’s because it doesn’t need to. Power is plentiful throughout the rev range, so there is never a need to wind out the engine to 8,000 r.p.m. To ensure all of that power is making it to the road, the RDX uses Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), lifted from the RL sedan and tweaked for the small SUV’s drivetrain. Primarily functioning as a front-wheel drive, the SH-AWD system can transfer up to 45 per cent of the torque to the rear wheels and then shift up to 100 per cent of that torque to either the left or right rear wheel to help scoot the RDX quickly through corners.

Although it takes a bit of getting used to, the amount of grip was quite surprising for an SUV riding on winter rubber, both when dry and on snow and ice. All of this translates into a surprisingly sporty, yet comfortable ride. Steering feedback is strong and communicative, and although there is definitely some body roll, the RDX never felt unsettled through some quick corners.

Visually, the RDX doesn’t stand out as much as it did when launched back in 2006 as a 2007 model. The slanted nose and windscreen lend to the sporty feel of the little SUV, but there isn’t really a whole lot that will make necks snap as you drive by.

Inside, however, is where the RDX hits its stride. A dual cockpit layout surrounds the driver and front passenger with a wide array of switch gear clad in leather and metallic-styled trim. A trio of large gauge pods sits behind the tilting and telescoping chunky three-spoke steering wheel. The setup offers a clear view of the tachometer, speedometer, fuel and turbocharger boost gauges, as well as a multi-function display that can toggle through trip meters, fuel economy, tire pressures and a real-time display of where the SH-AWD system is sending the engine’s power at any given time.

A variety of cubbies throughout the interior leave space for all of your gadgets, including a small spot at the bottom of the centre stack for your phone with a 12-volt outlet right beside for the charger. The centre-console armrest flips up to reveal a bin large enough for a laptop or two.

My tester came equipped with the technology package — the only major option for the RDX — which adds DVD navigation with voice recognition, a 410-watt, 10-speaker Dolby Pro-Logic DVD sound system with an eight-inch subwoofer in the trunk, Bluetooth phone connectivity and a backup camera that displays on the navigation screen to make parking a cinch. The whole package adds $4,000 to the bottom line — a solid deal, but unfortunately it’s an all-or-nothing situation.

I found the central control for the navigation system a bit tedious at times as it uses both a rotating dial and a four-way toggle setup, like a joystick. As you navigate through the different screens, it becomes a bit awkward trying to figure out if you should be turning the knob or operating it as a joystick to get to where you want to be. As you’re flipping through the menus for five minutes trying to adjust some minor function that used to be controlled by a little switch in cars five or 10 years ago, you’ll find yourself wishing the knob was down by the armrest as it would be in a BMW.

Because the tech package is really the only option available, the SUV comes loaded up in base form. Power mirrors, windows, heated driver and passenger seats with power adjustments, a full complement of front and rear airbags and more acronyms than you can shake a stick at: ABS, TCS, EBFD, i-VTEC, SH-AWD.

As the compact luxury SUV market grows, which I suspect it will since North Americans still love their vehicles with high vantage points (although they are tiring of the larger gas guzzlers), we can expect to see more of the RDX and its competitors on the road.

With the RDX’s popularity thus far, a redesign is likely in the wings for some time in the next two to three years.